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Royals, bullpen blow late lead in opener against Tigers

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher James Shields walks off the mound during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals' Omar Infante walks back to the dugout after popping out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday. The Tigers defeated the Royals 4-3.

Detroit Tigers' Alex Gonzalez, center, is mobbed after hitting the game winning single to score the winning run from third during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Detroit on Monday.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Alex Gonzalez, right, is congratulated by teammates after his game-winning single to drive in the run from third during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Detroit on Monday.

Detroit Tigers' Alex Gonzalez triples during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aaron Crow throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aaron Crow throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals' Norichika Aoki strikes out during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals' Omar Infante bats during the third inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is seen during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

Royals manager Ned Yost, left, removes relief pitcher Wade Davis, right, from Monday's game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Davis allowed three baserunners in the loss.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Monday.

DETROIT — There would be no easing into the 2014 season for Greg Holland.

Kansas City’s star reliever was called on in the ninth inning with the potential winning run already at third, and Detroit’s Alex Gonzalez greeted him with a single to left that gave the Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Royals on opening day Monday.

Kansas City’s bullpen, so impressive a year ago, couldn’t hold on to a two-run lead in the late innings.

“I get paid to get people out, and I didn’t do it today,” Holland said. “We’re not here to fight and compete. We’re here to win.”

It wasn’t the easiest situation for Holland, who converted 47 of 50 save chances last season. Wade Davis (0-1) allowed a one-out walk to Alex Avila and a single to Nick Castellanos before Holland came in and couldn’t get out of the first-and-third jam.

Kansas City lost its sixth straight opener.

Acquired by Detroit in late March following an injury to shortstop Jose Iglesias, Gonzalez made a costly error in Kansas City’s three-run fourth but made up for that with a tying triple in the seventh. His single in the ninth gave Brad Ausmus a win in his first game since replacing Jim Leyland as the Tigers’ manager.

“I’ve played on a lot of opening days — I don’t even remember all of them — but this one was special,” Gonzalez said. “I was looking for a pitch that I could elevate, and I got one. I rounded first and all I saw was the whole team coming at me.”

Joe Nathan (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth in his first appearance for the Tigers.

Salvador Perez had four hits for Kansas City, which won 86 games last year thanks in large part to its bullpen. The Royals were 67-6 in 2013 when leading by at least two runs at any point from the seventh inning on, according to STATS.

“We’ve got a long season to go,” said Kansas City starter James Shields, who was pulled in the seventh before the bullpen squandered the lead. “I’ll hand the ball to those guys any day of the week.”

Justin Verlander allowed three runs — two earned — in six innings and Victor Martinez homered for the Tigers, but their offense was quiet until the seventh. With Kansas City ahead 3-1, Austin Jackson hit a one-out triple and Avila drew a walk.

Aaron Crow replaced Shields and struck out Castellanos, but the third strike was a wild pitch that allowed Jackson to score. Gonzalez followed with a triple to the gap in left-center.

Although there were still a few patches of snow in the Detroit area Monday morning, the game was played under a bright, sunny sky with temperatures in the 50s. With its recently re-sodded field, Comerica Park looked sharp — but the home team didn’t at first.

Right fielder Torii Hunter dropped a routine flyball in the second, and although Verlander pitched out of that jam, he couldn’t escape the fourth.

Perez tied it at 1 with an RBI double off Verlander, and Lorenzo Cain slapped an RBI single through the hole into left field to put Kansas City ahead. After a two-out walk, Gonzalez bobbled Norichika Aoki’s slow grounder for an error that loaded the bases.

Verlander then walked Omar Infante to force in another run.

Verlander had surgery in January after injuring his groin, but he pitched 20 scoreless innings during spring training and earned his seventh straight opening day start.

He allowed six hits, walked three and struck out two.

Shields allowed three runs and five hits in 61/3 innings.

“The bottom of their order did a real good job today,” Shields said. “It’s definitely a tough loss — not the way we want to start our season off.”

NOTES

■ Infante received a hand from the Detroit crowd when he was introduced with the Kansas City players before the game. He left the Tigers and signed with the Royals in the offseason.